Today we’d like to introduce you to Brokk Mowrey.
Hi Brokk, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m a nature photographer, business professional, and public speaker. I’ve always been drawn to the outdoors and wildlife photography. As a child, I would go to the library and check out massive quantities of wildlife books, but unlike my sister who read them, I would just stare at the pictures and imagine myself visiting faraway lands – witnessing these amazing animals for myself. The adventure of it all is what got me excited!
However, I did not fully start fulfilling my dream of wildlife photography until I was in my late 20s. Like most people, I got caught up on the hamster wheel of life. At the beginning of my photography, I would spend every spare minute I could out in the field. After work, weekends, holidays, sleeping in my car on the side of the road -anything I could spend as much time as possible. I’ve been able to seek a better balance of life as I’ve progressed in my career, but even as a husband and father of a 3-year-old boy, I still spend as much time in the wild as I can. Both my wife and son love to come with me on my adventures and I should state that even though my son is only three years old, he is amazing at spotting wildlife.
In the last few years, I have ventured into inspirational speaking, drawing from both my wildlife photography and extensive business leadership careers, to help others believe in their potential and overcome self-doubt to achieve their best dreams.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road, nor is it easy even now. I would say several factors stand in the way of getting out and succeeding in wildlife photography. First and foremost is a strong enough desire for the challenge. Standing in the way are the myriad other tasks of life. In my case, I was in my late 20s before I found it possible to chase my dream, whereas many other photographers have an earlier start.
Next is the money and time it takes to understand and capture wildlife in its natural habitat. Then being able to operate the gear in a way that captures the world around me in the same way I experience it, takes time and expertise. Perhaps one of my greatest obstacles was simply believing that I could do it and believing I had what it took. I’m an undiagnosed ADHD personality and even my dad (who has a Ph.D. in Psychology) questioned whether I could sit still long enough, be consistent or patient enough to be a successful wildlife photographer. Although my parents had their doubts, they never expressed them until after I became successful. They were always supportive and made me feel as if I could accomplish anything.
With this type of support growing up, I’ve always been a little bull-headed and relentless in accomplishing my goals. However, it was not uncommon for doubts to creep in repeatedly. Each time that happened, I ventured out into the wild and it was as if nature spoke to me, reassuring me that this was what I must do; this was where I belonged, and this was my life’s dedication. This inspiration from nature has not only been essential for my success but has fortified my belief system and encouraged me to put forth all the necessary time and effort.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a wildlife/nature photographer, delving into inspirational speaking. One of the things that set me apart from others is that I have 20+ years as a business leader in addition to my photography. The combination of my two backgrounds has allowed me to understand the corporate employee while drawing from my creative knowledge of the wild to tell impactful, meaningful stories.
My photography is all taken in the natural world – never in a zoo or other domesticated environments. I try to be as respectful towards nature as possible; respecting its boundaries and never employing any type of baiting, trapping, or other harmful tactics to get the image, regardless of how difficult that can make certain shots.
In a world full of labels, peer pressures, and fake news, I believe “wild” stands out as the world unedited. This is what I strive to capture in my photography – nature as it was meant to be. Raw, powerful, and free.
We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I would describe success as the ability to pursue our dreams and do what makes us happy. More specifically, happiness and purpose occur when we can use our talents, knowledge, and skills to bring joy and growth to ourselves and others.
Success is not a destination at which we arrive and then stay, but is a continual journey. I’m not so arrogant to diminish the role of money in success, but rather believe that it provides the means to be fully creative and is not the end goal.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brokkmowrey.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokkmowrey/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrokkMowrey
